What to Expect During Pregnancy: First Trimester

The first trimester of pregnancy is a big adjustment period for every woman. Not only will you begin preparing your life and your home for a new little one, your body also begins to go through a number of changes as it creates a nurturing environment for the growing baby.

This physical change evidences itself differently for each woman. Some women will feel healthy and strong as they increase their nutrition intake and healthy habits for pregnancy, while others will have symptoms from the hormonal and physical changes in their body.

Call your doctor if you experience:

• Significant bleeding
• Severe abdominal pain
• Urinating only small amounts of liquid or urine that’s dark in color
• Rapid weight gain, or not enough weight gain
• Severe dizziness

Changes to your body

During the first trimester, some women will experience the following changes:

Breast tenderness

Hormone changes that occur during the first part of a pregnancy often cause a woman’s breasts to feel sore or tender as they are prepared to produce milk. This is usually the earliest indicator of pregnancy.

Wearing a support bra or a larger bra size can help ease some of the discomfort.

Weight gain

It’s good for a woman to gain a healthy amount of weight during pregnancy. However, most women only need an extra 150-300 calories (from nutritious sources) a day and will gain less than 10 pounds in the first trimester.

If rapid (or not enough) weight gain occurs, contact your doctor to adjust your diet.

Change in eating habits

Women often experience food cravings and food aversions. A woman’s taste buds can actually change during pregnancy. Eating a well-balanced, healthy diet is an important part of having a good pregnancy, so make sure to monitor food intake.

A condition called pica, a craving for non-food items, may occur during the first trimester and can be dangerous. If you experience pica, discuss it with your doctor.